Inking device for stamping apparatus or printing machines

ABSTRACT

A disposable inking device for manually actuated stamping devices or printing machines in which a main ink reservoir communicates through a capillary passage with a relatively thin substantially flat auxiliary reservoir provided in a flexible top wall thereof, on which a liquid absorbent pad is supported with at least one outlet opening.

United States Patent J g 1451 Aug. 8, 1972 [54] INKING DEVICE FOR STAMPING 274,804 3/1883 McVoy ..118/265 APPARATUS 0R PRINTING MACHINES 632,967 9/1899 ,Niederer ..118/265 72 l t 1 H 2,152,682 4/1939 Dwofsky .....118/265 1 mack 3,326,180 6/1967 a'Lofgren ..118/264 443,781 l2/l890 Moore ..1 l8/268 um Ernst nt r Komm n r 1,173,085 2/1916 Beeching ..1 l8/265 swellschaft, Felnmechamk und p- 2,529,003 11/1950 Dewitt et al. ..ll8/264 x paratebau, Black Forest, a y 2,764,958 10/1956 Stahl ..1 l8/268 x I [22] Filed: March 6, 1969 P Ex J h P M l t h rzmary ammer 0 II C n OS [2 Appl' 1' 804,804 Attorney-Michael S. Striker [30] L Foreign Application Priority Data March 27, 1968 Germany ..R 37 245 A i p ab nki g de c for manually actuated April 17, 1968 Germany ..P 17 61 195.9 p g devices or p g machines i which a ain I a ink reservoir communicates through a capillary [52] US. Cl ..118/265 passage with a relatively thin substantially flat auxilia- [51] Int. Cl. ..B05c 11/05 ry reservoir provided in a flexible top wall thereof, on [58] field of Search.......l 18/264, 265, 268, 271, 270 which a liquid absorbent pad is supported with at least one outlet opening. 56 R eferences Cited 9 Claim 2 Drawing Fi UNITED STATES PATENTS 1124,029 6/1955 Garvey ..1 18/264 INKING DEVICE FOR'STAMPING APPTUS R PRINTING MACI-IINFS The present invention concerns an inking device for stationary or manually actuated stamping devices or printing machines and a container therefor.

Before any impression of printing types may be obtained, the types must first be inked by pressing them into an inked pad. Inking pads in which the ink is stored therein by absorbtion, are known against which rubber stamps or individual printing types are pressed by hand and also those which are mounted in swivel yokes which are moved automatically with impact pressure towards the types so as to ink these in the inoperative position before each impression. The latter kind of swivel yoke mountings for stamp pads are used for example, in paginating machines, time-date stamps, labelling machines or for wheel sets of printing systems; the printing types then being arranged spread over the periphery of wheels and types set in the impression position to be inked.

The disadvantage of known inking devices resides in that the absorbent materials of the stamp pad, such as felt, linen or plastics material, have to be replenished with ink by steeping after a relatively short time of use. Especially in the case of stamp pads used in stamping or printing machines, the inking process is particularly cumbersome and time wasting since the stamp pads have to be removed from the apparatus or machine, replenished with ink and then replaced manually in the machine, which in addition cannot be accomplished without contamination resulting. Such ink pads are retained in metal rail-like U-shaped members which in turn are insertable in a yoke holder and having to be cleaned before insertion.

An object of the invention is the provision of an inking device for stamping apparatus or printing machines such that an interchangeable ink reservoir complete with stamp pad is formed which may be held ready in storage for use as refill when required.

According to the present invention an inking device for stamping apparatus or printing machines formed of thermoplastics material and which comprises a main ink reservoir communicating with a substantially flat stamp pad section having a hollow portion or chamber auxiliary reservoir formed therein and at least one small ink outlet opening communicating with the hollow portion; the stamp pad section being capable of supporting an absorbent material acting as stamp pad, and said section having an automatic pump-like action for refil thereof from the ink reservoir for inking the stamp pad.

It is a feature of the invention for the flat section acting as pump chamber to be so dimensioned that, at the point of transition to the ink reservoir, a capillary action occurs to extract ink by suction and into the flat section which is hence automatically refilled.

In order for the inking process to additionally promote the outlet of ink from the flat pump section through the small apertures into the ink pad material placed thereon, there may be used in a further development of the invention a hair felt acting as ink pad cut at right angles to the pile direction with the felt hair located in direction of the ink outlet to provide capillary suction effect out of the flat pump section into the pad felt.

The ink reservoir with the uniformly adjacent flat pump section together with stamp pad supported thereon is readily replaceable by a new unit. For this purpose such an ink reservoir and flat section is injec-,

tion moulded in block form in continuous peripheral line and so cohesive of therrnoplastics material that the flat section is laterally stepped within this peripheral line relative to the ink reservoir and which provides for a stamp pad to be supported laterally against the upright container walls of the ink reservoir.

The inkreservoir and pump section together with the supported stamp pad may in further embodiment be kept in box closable by a sliding lid to act as refill unit, which may be inserted in a closed position in the swivel yoke holder of an automatic inking device of printing machines and by removing the closure cover, thus be readily interchanged for a used and empty unit.

The invention will be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through an inking device having stamp pad material mounted thereon and housed in a container;

FIG. 2 is a plan view formed into a box-like unit.

An ink reservoir 1/1 formed from therrnoplastics material and as an L-shaped structure is shown in FIG. 1 and 2. Laterally of the storage reservoir part 1', as shown in FIG. 2, the parallepiped block is recessed at 2 in such a manner that a stamp pad 3 formed of absorbent material may be fitted into this laterally stepped open space 2. Further, a tongue-like projecting flat section 1" adjoins below the remaining ink storage space 1 located at right angles to l and is of such dimension that at the point of transition 4 with the ink reservoir 1/1, a relatively narrow transition cross-section is formed to provide a capillary pumping action for extracting ink by suction from the reservoir 1/1 and so as to refill section or chamber 1". Hence a filled reservoir 1/1 closed on all sides, is formed of the same material in the same manufacturing injection moulding process with the uniformly adjoining flat pump section 1" and is interconnected at 4 over such small cross-section that a capillary suction effect occurs for topping up the pump chamber 1" with ink. The inking device comprising the reservoir and flat section block-shaped and has a continuous peripheral line and the stamp pad 3 being locatable within this circumferential line in the laterally offset open space 2 on the flat section 1" and abutting in longitudinal direction against the laterally ascending defining wall of the storage space part 1 The flat section 1" has a plurality of small holes 5 on its surface through which ink is pumped to the stamp pad 3. The stamp pad 3 is formed from a hair felt cut at right angles to the milling direction with the felt hair being aligned with the openings 5, as shown in FIG. 1. Herealso a capillary suction effect may occur between the ink and the hair felt 3 so that the felt absorbs ink passing through the holes 5 from the flat section 1.

A box-shaped member 6 is provided having defining walls 6' rising up from the base and in which the inking device comprising the reservoir, flat section and stamp pad 3 is locatable so that these may be retained within the box shape 6/6 as refill pack exchangeable in stamping devices or printing machines. A lateral projecting rim edge 7 is provided on both longitudinal 3 sides of the box 6/6' on which a sliding cover, not shown, for the thus formed refill pack is adapted to be mounted to provide a protective closure which is removed to expose the ink pad 3 for inking printing types before insertion into a printing machine.

When using this refill pack, for example, for impact inking devices, the stamp pad 3 would be caused to absorb the ink through the openings from the flat section 1" and pressed against the types for their automatic inking before each impression. The ink outlet openings 5 will expediently be located on the flat pump section 1" at a point where the printing types press against the ink pad 3 from above, so that particularly in this transverse direction within the pad material 3 an adequate supply if ink is available since the ink is especially intensively pumped into the material 3 or absorbed thereby at this point. The pressure application of the types for their inking level with the outlet openings 5 through the pad material 3 may assist the pumping action within the flat section 1", since the latter is compressed by the pressure application of the types and'with the removal of the stamp pad from the printing types extends or expands again. This operation additionally allows the ink to be pumped out of the flat pump. section 1", or, retrospectively, pumped from the ink reservoir 1/1 through the transition cross-section 4 for suitably refilling the flat section 1".

There may also be provided a partition 8 within the box 6/6 over which the refill unit may also be mounted within a recess between flat pump section 1" and storage space part 1 arranged adjacently. In this case the partition 8 may be additionally used as holder for the pad material 3.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, the combination of the ink reservoir 1/1 with the fiat pump section 1" is shown as a unitary structure having the ink pad 3 placed and located in a box 6/6'. In an alternative embodirnent, however, an internal refill pack for the ink ing device according to the invention may also be injection moulded of thermoplastics material as a block form in continuous peripheral line with the base of the reservoir 1/1 and flat section 1'' being formed of a thickness to render it stable enough to dispense with the necessity of having the special box 6/6'. The thus formed refill pack due to the increased thickness of its base may be injection moulded rigid enough to enable it to be inserted directly in holders of printing machines. Such a refill pack, with a rigid base portion but with an elastically resilient ink reservoir 1/1 and adjacent flat section 1', may also be of advantage when it is intended to refill the reservoir 1/ 1' with ink when disposal of the plastics part is not desired when replacing inking devices.

I claim 1. A disposable dispenser for liquids, particularly a disposable inking device, comprising closed integral container means containing a supply of liquid and comprising a main reservoir .a relatively thin, substantially flat auxiliary reservoir having an elastic wall portion and at least one liquid dispensing outlet opening in said wall portion; and duct means connecting said reservoirs and defining at least one passage, the dimensions of said passage being such that capillary action is effective in transferring liquid from said main to said auxiliary reservoir, said elastic wall portion peing deformab e in response to app matron of extem pre ure to re uce the volume of said auxiliary reservoir and to thereby expel liquid by way of said outlet opening, said duct means being arranged to admit liquid from said main reservoir into said auxiliary reservoir upon relaxation of said external pressure which brings about an increase in the volume of said auxiliary reservoir.

2. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1 further comprising a deformable, liquid-absorbent body adjacent to said liquid dispensing outlet opening and disposed in pressure-transmitting contiguity with said elastic wall portion of said auxiliary reservoir.

3. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 2, wherein said body comprises a hair-felt cut at right angles to the milling direction, the hair of said hair-felt cut extending in the direction of liquid flow from said outlet opening.

4. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein said reservoirs and said duct means consist of synthetic thermoplastic material.

5. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein said duct means is integral with said reservoirs.

6. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein said reservoirs are disposed side by side.

7. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 6, and including a box-type holder open at the top in which said dispenser is received, said holder having at the top a pair of laterally extending flanges.

8. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 6 further comprising a deformable absorbent body supported by and overlying the elastic wall portion of said auxiliary reservoir.

9. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 8, where said body is a stamp pad. 

1. A disposable dispenser for liquids, particularly a disposable inking device, comprising closed integral container means containing a supply of liquid and comprising a main reservoir, a relatively thin, substantially flat auxiliary reservoir having an elastic wall portion and at least one liquid dispensing outlet opening in said wall portion; and duct means connecting said reservoirs and defining at least one passage, the dimensions of said passage being such that capillary action is effective in transferring liquid from said main to said auxiliary reservoir, said elastic wall portion being deformable in response to application of external pressure to reduce the volume of said auxiliary reservoir and to thereby expel liquid by way of said outlet opening, said duct means being arranged to admit liquid from said main reservoir into said auxiliary reservoir upon relaxation of said external pressure which brings about an increase in the volume of said auxiliary reservoir.
 2. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1 further comprising a deformable, liquid-absorbent body adjacent to said liquid dispensing outlet opening and disposed in pressure-transmitting contiguity with said elastic wall portion of said auxiliary reservoir.
 3. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 2, wherein said body comprises a hair-felt cut at right angles to the milling direction, the hair of said hair-felt cut extending in the direction of liquid flow from said outlet opening.
 4. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein said reservoirs and said duct means consist of synthetic thermoplastic material.
 5. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein said duct means is integral with said reservoirs.
 6. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 1, wherein said reservoirs are disposed side by side.
 7. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 6, and including a box-type holder open at the top in which said dispenser is received, said holder having at the top a pair of laterally extending flanges.
 8. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 6 further comprising a deformable absorbent body supported by and overlying the elastic wall portion of said auxiliary reservoir.
 9. A disposable dispenser as defined in claim 8, where said body is a stamp pad. 